Oregon transplant Melissa Gregory Rue writes, directs, and produces films and series that provide cross-cultural experiences to promote greater compassion in our world. Her films have screened at festivals around the U.S. In 2018, Melissa had the privilege of recording soundtracks for “Esperanza’s Turn” and her upcoming documentary, Live Out Loud, with Grammy nominated guitarist Alex de Grassi and world-renowed percussionist, Hamid Drake. Honored saxophonist and educator, Kidd Jordan, and spoken word artist, Don Paul, also appear with Hamid and Alex on the soundtrack for Live Out Loud. Melissa is currently at work on a pilot for a series that is set in her birthplace, Kentucky. In addition to working on her own projects, she co-produces Interconnections, The Connectivity Project's web series about people and programs making a positive impact on our society and environment (www.connectivityproject.com). Before shifting her focus to filmmaking, Melissa taught writing and literature at Portland Community College for many years.